Biomarker News and Research

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A biomarker is a biological molecule found in blood, other body fluids, or tissues that is a sign of a normal or abnormal process, or of a condition or disease. A biomarker may be used to see how well the body responds to a treatment for a disease or condition. Also called molecular marker and signature molecule.

Novel blood-based method diagnoses Alzheimer’s disease with high accuracy

Alzheimer's disease (AD) accounts for 60–80% of global dementia cases, with its core pathological feature being the misfolding and aggregation of β-amyloid (Aβ) proteins in the brain.

25 Aug 2026

What decades of wine research can, and cannot, tell us about health

A narrative review found that moderate wine intake has repeatedly been associated with lower all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, with proposed mechanisms involving ethanol and grape-derived polyphenols, but the evidence remains largely observational and cannot establish causation. The authors argue that drinking pattern, beverage type, age, cancer risk, and risk-modeling choices all influence how the J-shaped association should be interpreted and how alcohol guidelines are developed.

25 Aug 2026

Scientists compared 51 longevity studies to see which aging biomarkers respond most reliably

Researchers analyzing 51 longitudinal intervention studies found that reliable generation 2+ DNA methylation biomarkers, particularly those predicting mortality or pace of aging, were the most responsive to interventions aimed at longevity or healthspan. Pharmacological and lifestyle interventions produced the strongest biomarker changes, but the authors cautioned that responsiveness does not yet establish these measures as validated surrogate endpoints for slower aging or longer life.

25 Aug 2026

Higher BPA exposure tracked with higher estrogen and progesterone in women

Researchers found that higher urinary concentrations of BPA and several phthalate metabolites were associated with higher serum estrogen and progesterone levels in 90 premenopausal women from Iran. The cross-sectional study also identified positive associations for combined chemical exposures, although the authors cautioned that the mixture findings are exploratory and cannot establish causality.

24 Aug 2026

Shared protein pathology redefines treatment for multiple neurodegenerative diseases

On the surface, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy (LATE) might seem like unrelated diseases.

24 Aug 2026

Semaglutide’s heart benefits may partly involve reduced inflammation

A prespecified analysis of 17,604 SELECT participants found that higher baseline hsCRP was associated with greater risks of major cardiovascular events and death in people with overweight or obesity and established cardiovascular disease. Semaglutide produced rapid and sustained reductions in hsCRP, with changes emerging before substantial weight loss, although the study could not establish whether reduced inflammation directly mediated its cardiovascular benefits.

24 Aug 2026

FDA clears innovative blood test for earlier Alzheimer's diagnosis

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared for marketing an innovative blood test with underlying technology invented at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.

21 Aug 2026

Rapid test breakthrough could transform iron treatment worldwide

WEHI researchers have developed a blood test that can detect iron deficiency in minutes, overcoming key limitations of existing point-of-care diagnostics and potentially transforming how the condition is diagnosed and treated worldwide.

20 Aug 2026

Review reveals how nicotine damages blood vessels and heart health

A review published today in Nature Reviews Cardiology provides the most detailed picture yet of how nicotine damages the cardiovascular system – tracing the biological chain of events from the moment nicotine binds to receptors in blood vessel walls through to the atherosclerotic plaque rupture that triggers heart attacks and strokes.

19 Aug 2026

International task force outlines roadmap for precision stroke recovery

An international task force co-led by a Georgetown University stroke expert has outlined a bold new roadmap for stroke recovery, positioning genetic and blood biomarkers to drive the next generation of precision neuro-rehabilitation and biotherapy.

19 Aug 2026

Re:Cognition Health launches first dedicated Alzheimer's disease-modifying treatment clinic in Ireland

Re:Cognition Health, the UK's largest independent provider of Alzheimer's disease-modifying treatments, announces the opening of its first Irish clinic in Dublin, marking a major milestone in dementia care for Ireland.

19 Aug 2026

New microfluidic chip predicts personalized glioblastoma treatment responses

Even for the same brain tumor treated with the same anticancer drug, the effect can differ from patient to patient.

17 Aug 2026

Surgical decisions remain complex for infants with severe necrotizing enterocolitis

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) mainly affects premature and low-birth-weight (LBW) newborns and carries poor outcomes once surgery is required.

14 Aug 2026

Alzheimer's markers show crucial differences across diverse global populations

Established Alzheimer's markers are also detected in blood samples from Nigeria and Tanzania. But other proteins in the blood differ from those seen in a comparable group in Canada.

13 Aug 2026

Your social life may leave a mark on how fast you age

Positive social experiences were associated with longer survival, while childhood adversity predicted shorter survival in a 1,309-person longitudinal cohort followed for nearly 15 years. Epigenetic aging, particularly GrimAge2, emerged as the strongest potential pathway linking social experiences with mortality risk.

12 Aug 2026

Automated MRI system improves improves evaluation of experimental stroke therapies

Researchers from the Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute (Stevens INI) at the Keck School of Medicine of USC have developed an automated system that uses MRI to measure brain tissue changes in animal models for large, multicenter studies of experimental stroke treatments.

12 Aug 2026

Later-life estrogen therapy associated with lower risk of developing dementia

Use of hormone therapy later in life was associated with lower risk of developing dementia, according to a study published August 12, 2026, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

12 Aug 2026

AI-augmented analysis sheds new light on Crohn's disease complications

Scientists have combined Artificial Intelligence (AI), genetics and gut microbiome analysis to shed new light on one of the most serious complications of Crohn's disease: intestinal fibrosis, the irreversible scarring of the bowel that often leads to surgery.

12 Aug 2026

Molecular mapping reveals hidden cellular programs in heart transplant rejection

A new study that explores gene expression during heart transplant rejection marks a step forward for precision medicine approaches to treat organ rejection.

12 Aug 2026

Healthy lifestyle cuts hearing impairment risk by 14%, metabolism is key driver

Hearing impairment ranks as the third largest contributor to global disability among sensory disorders, with prevalence rising across younger and middle-aged populations alongside older adults.

12 Aug 2026